My productivity has sucked
There are some things that baffle me, like…
Why did I buy this Raisin Bran? It sucks. The flakes get soggy in minutes and your tummy’s knocking on you to eat again just five minutes after you’re finished.
And secondly, I’m baffled as to where the hell this month went.
At the beginning of May, I laid out my goals for the month. My bowl of soggy Raisin Bran almost got launched across the room this morning when I looked back over the list to see how I was doing.
* outline new script -> have only brainstormed
* rewrite Super Ted -> nothing done yet
* write 30 fitness articles for Livestrong -> have finished 23/30
* watch 15 movies -> have watched 12/15
* read 10 scripts -> have read 0
* sharpen up the resume -> haven’t started
* fix up and decide on a direction for this website -> have only brainstormed
* start the summer garden -> reading a book on it
* paint/redecorate the apartment -> painted, still need to finish some decorating work
I know that I have a tendency to not be realistic when it comes to setting out expectations for myself, but damn… what the hell have I been doing? It’s been somewhat of a difficult month, with things getting a little stressful and crazy at home, but I’m absolutely disappointed in what I’ve done over the last twenty-five days.
Today is a new day, however, so let’s see if I can at least put a dent in one of these goals.
If you look at that list realistically, I think you can see that it wasn’t quite realistic for just one month. You might try breaking your goals down into smaller ones, weekly or even daily. For instance, “rewrite script” can be broken down into “work through 5 pages on Monday, work through 7 on Tuesday, work through 3 on Wednesday” based on how much time you think you’ll realistically have each day.
It may see like overkill, but when you’re having productivity issues, it can help to sort of micromanage yourself for at least a little while until you get back on track. And don’t forget the things you *have* accomplished this month! 12 movies, 23 articles, painting, a fair bit of brainstorming, and writing at least one short scene is a pretty productive month. So don’t be too hard on yourself!
Thanks Elizabeth. My mom got on me for being hard on myself as well.
Sometimes I set ridiculous expectations for myself. I still haven’t been able to learn how to be realistic when I set goals so that I don’t set myself up for disappoint.
I appreciate your comment!